The technology relates to a vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus that identifies a specific object present in a traveling direction of an own vehicle.
A technique has been proposed in which a three-dimensional object, such as a vehicle located ahead of an own vehicle, is detected to perform a control that avoids collision with a preceding vehicle (i.e., a collision avoidance control) or to perform a control that keeps a safe inter-vehicular distance from the preceding vehicle (i.e., a cruise control). For example, reference is made to Japanese Patent No. 3349060.
As a technique that detects the presence of the three-dimensional object, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-134877 discloses a technique in which a parallel-traveling vehicle that travels parallel with the own vehicle is detected, with reference to an image pattern photographed sideward of the own vehicle, based on symmetry of an edge of the own vehicle in a front-rear direction of the own vehicle.